Menopause is a natural biological process that marks the end of a woman's reproductive years. It's characterized by a decline in estrogen and progesterone levels, leading to a variety of symptoms, including hot flashes, sleep disturbances, mood changes, and weight gain. This article explores the potential role of probiotics in managing weight and other health aspects during menopause, based on current research.
Understanding Menopause and Its Impact
Menopause, often accompanied by perimenopause, can bring about significant changes in a woman's body. These include bloating, constipation, and shifts in fat distribution, often leading to increased belly fat. The hormonal fluctuations can also affect the gut microbiome, the community of microorganisms residing in the digestive system.
The Gut-Menopause Connection
The decline in estrogen and progesterone during menopause can disrupt the balance of the gut microbiome. This can lead to digestive issues such as bloating, constipation, and abdominal discomfort. Probiotics, live microorganisms with health benefits, may help restore balance and alleviate some of these symptoms.
The Role of Probiotics: An Overview
Probiotics are live microorganisms that, when consumed in adequate amounts, confer a health benefit on the host. They are found in both supplements and fermented foods. Research suggests that probiotics can improve immune function, digestive health, and heart health. They may also play a role in weight management by influencing appetite and energy usage.
How Probiotics Work
Probiotics seem to influence appetite and energy usage via the production of acetate, propionate, and butyrate, which are short-chain fatty acids. Certain probiotics may inhibit the absorption of dietary fat, decreasing inflammation and increasing the amount of fat excreted with feces. In other words, they make your body “harvest” fewer calories from the foods you eat. Certain bacteria, such as those from the Lactobacillus family, have been found to function in this way.
Read also: Ingredients in Menopause Gummies
Probiotics may also fight obesity in other ways, including:
- Releasing appetite-regulating hormones: Probiotics may help release the appetite-reducing hormones glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) and peptide YY (PYY). Increased levels of these hormones may help you burn calories and fat.
- Increasing levels of fat-regulating proteins: Probiotics may increase levels of the protein angiopoietin-like 4 (ANGPTL4). This may lead to decreased fat storage.
The Gut Microbiota and Obesity
Experiments on germ-free animals have provided much evidence for the contribution of bacteria to obesity. The composition of the gut microbiota changes in obese people. These changes affect the degree of energy obtained from food, the composition and secretory functions of adipose tissue, carbohydrate, and lipid metabolism in the liver, and the activity of centers in the brain.
Probiotics and Weight Loss: What the Research Says
A recent review of studies on probiotics and weight loss in people with overweight and obesity suggests that probiotics may help you lose weight and lower your body fat percentage. However, more research is needed. In particular, studies have found that certain strains of the Lactobacillus family can help you lose weight and belly fat combined with exercise.
Specific Probiotic Strains and Their Effects
- Lactobacillus gasseri: Research has found that Lactobacillus gasseri shows promising effects on weight loss in humans. The meta study found that Lactobacillus gasseri decreased body weight, BMI, waist circumference, body fat mass or fat percentage in those with overweight or obesity. It also decreased visceral fat. What’s more, it still showed weight loss effects even when the participants did not undergo energy restriction. However, more research is needed.
- Lactobacillus curvatus and Lactobacillus plantarum: Consuming products with Lactobacillus curvatus and Lactobacillus plantarum displayed a reduction in body weight, visceral fat mass, and waist circumference.
- Lactobacillus sakei: Adults with obesity who were given the probiotic Lactobacillus sakei experienced significant decreases in both body fat mass and waist circumference.
- Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis: One 2020 study found that Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis had a positive effect on weight management and reduced inflammation.
- VSL#3: Taking a probiotic formulation called VSL#3 prevented weight gain and insulin resistance in mice. This indicates that some probiotic strains might have the same effect in humans. However, this needs to be studied further.
Clinical Trials and Systematic Reviews
A qualitative systematic review of randomized clinical trials (RCTs) published in English, for overweight and obese people, used the MEDLINE, PubMed, and EMBASE databases for the literature search. Publications were searched between January 2010 and December 2019. The search terms included “probiotics”, “Bifidobacterium”, “Lactobacillus”, “obesity”, “overweight”, “adipose tissue”, “waist circumference”, “weight reduction”, and “thigh circumference”.
The inclusion criteria included: (1) randomized controlled trial; (2) clinical trials in humans; (3) overweight or obese persons; (4) studies in English; (5) the effects of probiotics and/or synbiotics on metabolic or anthropometric indicators have been determined; (6) sufficient information on anthropometric and metabolic indicators has been provided in both the study and control groups; and (7) probiotics and/or synbiotics have been administered for at least 3 weeks.
Read also: Facial Hair Growth During Menopause
Mechanisms of Action
Intestinal microbiota can participate in obtaining energy via the fermentation of nondigestible dietary components in the large intestine. This digestion is possible due to enzymes produced by bacteria. Fermentation produces many compounds, of which short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) are the most important group, which include primarily acetic, propionic, and butyric acid.
SCFAs can be used by colonocytes, hepatocytes, and muscle cells as an energy source. SCFA can account for about 10% of the host’s energy requirements. Acetate and propionate play an important role in lipid and glucose metabolism. Acetate is used as a lipogenesis substrate in the liver, while propionate can be used in gluconeogenesis pathways. Excess SCFA is stored in the form of lipids and glucose.
Propionic, acetic, and butyric acids are ligands for GPR41 (FFAR2) and GPR43 (FFAR3) receptors, which participate in the regulation of lipid and glucose metabolism. SCFA can increase the oxidation of fatty acids in the liver and muscle tissue. Acetic and propionic acid stimulates adipocytes to synthesize leptin, a hormone with a strong anorectic effect. SCFAs affect plasma glucose levels by increasing the secretion of intestinal hormones (YY peptide-PYY and glucagon-like peptide 1-GLP-1). The intestinal hormones affect the satiety center and reduce the appetite. In contrast, PYY and GLP-1 slow down the passage of nutrients in the intestines and thus increase the absorption of nutrients. SCFAs have been shown to lower plasma cholesterol levels. Propionate reduces the activity of enzymes involved in the synthesis of cholesterol in the liver. In addition, SCFAs have an anti-inflammatory effect, reducing low-intensity chronic inflammation.
Probiotics and Menopause Symptoms
Probiotics have been shown to provide some menopause symptom relief by aiding in digestion, supporting vaginal health, and reducing inflammation. Specific strains of probiotics may help keep your digestive track balanced and offset some of these symptoms.
Vaginal Health and Probiotics
As estrogen levels decline during menopause, the vaginal pH shifts, increasing the risk of urinary tract infections (UTIs), bacterial vaginosis (BV), and yeast infections. Research shows that specific strains-particularly Lactobacillus rhamnosus and L. reuteri-can help restore some balance to the vaginal microbiome. Studies have found that taking oral probiotics alongside antibiotics is more effective for treating BV than antibiotics alone.
Read also: Navigating Weight Loss During Menopause
Choosing the Right Probiotic
Choosing a probiotic requires finding the right match for your needs. For digestive issues, look for combination formulas with Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium strains. For vaginal health, Lactobacillus rhamnosus, Lactobacillus reuteri, and Lactobacillus acidophilus are recommended. Probiotics are measured in CFUs (colony-forming units), and higher CFU counts are generally more potent.
Doctor-Recommended Probiotics
Some doctor-recommended probiotics for women include Pendulum: GLP-1 Probiotic, Thorne: FloraMend Prime Probiotic, Seed: DS-01 Daily Synbiotic, and Metagenics: UltraFlora Spectrum Probiotic.
Probiotics and Diet
Probiotics can be obtained from fermented foods such as yogurt, sauerkraut, kimchi, miso, and kombucha. A diet rich in fermented foods enhances the diversity of gut microbes and decreases molecular signs of inflammation.
What to Look For in a Probiotic Supplement
When choosing a probiotic supplement, look for multistrain probiotics with at least 10 billion CFUs. Choose clinically tested products with third-party verification.
Potential Side Effects
Probiotics are generally safe, but some people may experience mild digestive symptoms such as gas, bloating, or diarrhea when they first start taking them. Individuals with compromised immune systems or severe allergies should consult their doctor before taking probiotics.
Menopause-Related Diseases and Microbiota
Menopause-related changes in microbiota may play a role in the pathogenesis of several diseases. These include osteoporosis, breast cancer, endometrial hyperplasia, periodontitis, obesity, and cardiovascular disease.
Probiotics and Osteoporosis
Probiotics may promote intestinal calcium absorption, potentially preventing osteoporosis. Studies have shown that Lactobacillus reuteri supplementation can reduce the loss of total volumetric body mass density in elderly women with osteopenia.
Probiotics and Cardiovascular Risk
Probiotics may positively impact cardiovascular risk by reducing systemic microinflammation and decreasing plasma cholesterol levels.
Probiotics and Breast Cancer
Probiotics may have a protective role against breast cancer by producing substances with anticancer activity and restoring impaired phytoestrogen bioactivation in the dysbiotic gut.
tags: #menopause #probiotics #weight #loss